Archives for April 2018

Life as a stay-at-home mom of a 5-week-old and 3-year-old means I have next to no time to spend cooking at the end of the day. Fortunately, I saw this challenge coming, so I did a bit of freezer cooking while I was pregnant so we’d have something to eat that required very little effort from me.

After all, my hubby can’t cook a big meal either. Approximately 5 minutes after he walks in the door, I shove a kid into his arms– whichever one has driven me to the edge of sanity that day.

So long before our newest family member entered the world, I made several of our favorite freezer-friendly recipes to stash away. Here is the list of delicious, easy and mostly healthy recipes we go to time and time again.

My Top 5 Freezer Cooking Tips

Add broth to soup.
I have noticed that whenever I reheat soup that has been frozen, it is much thicker in consistency. I recommend adding either chicken or beef broth to any frozen soup to thin it out a bit, unless you prefer it to be more like a stew.

Freeze cooked meat.
One trick I’ve used that is very helpful is to cook and freeze 1-lb. batches of shredded chicken, ground beef, ground turkey and sausage. Having my meat already cooked definitely speeds up the time it takes to make a meal, not to mention fewer dirty pans. And it’s way more efficient to cook a couple of pounds at one time.

Double what you’re already cooking.
I know some people like to have a big freezer cooking day that takes a few hours, but that’s not the way I roll. My technique was to make these meals for dinner and double the recipe to make an extra one for the freezer. It takes longer to accumulate meals that way, but it’s much less work.

Don’t forget breakfast foods.
This roundup focused on entrees, but you can freeze breakfast foods like muffins, pancakes, waffles or muffin tin omelets.

Package meals well.
I cooked most of these meals in 8×8 aluminum foil pans. After each had completely cooled, I put a piece of regular aluminum foil on top, then wrapped the whole pan in heavy duty aluminum foil and put the pan in a 2.5-gallon ziploc bag. Doing it this way helps avoid freezer burn.

I hope these meals and tips will inspire you to try freezer cooking. As always, make the technique work for your family. I’m not a big fan of seafood or beef, so most of my recipes center around poultry. Your family may be different, and that’s fine.

Even if you just want to fill your freezer with cooked meat and steamable veggies, you can save a lot of time cooking dinner each night.

The past six months have been tough for me. And I realized that I had forgotten how to have hope.

It seems like it’s been one thing after another.

A thyroid cancer diagnosis.

A baby with enlarged kidneys.

A ridiculous number of doctor’s appointments, tests and medical bills.

A broken dishwasher.

A stomach bug that hit my 3-year-old and husband.

Somewhere along the way, I went from expecting the best to happen to expecting the worst. Or at least fearing something bad was about to happen. Waiting for the other shoe to drop.

I realized that I was losing my ability to hope.

But many of these challenges aren’t going to be resolved overnight, and I don’t want to live each day with a feeling of impending doom.

But how do you get your hope back?

That’s what I’ve been walking through. I’m inspired by words and music so those are the things I’ve been focusing on.

Bible Verses that Restore Hope

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” – Philippians 4:8

“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” – Proverbs 17:22

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” – Hebrews 11:1

“She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.” – Proverbs 31:25

Quotes that Restore Hope

“Always believe something wonderful is about to happen.”

“Your mind will always believe everything you tell it. Feed it hope. Feed it truth. Feed it with love.”

Songs that Restore Hope

So, how am I taking all these words and lyrics and using them to find hope again? Every day, I write one of these on my bathroom mirror and board in my kitchen so I can see it throughout the day and be reminded that I can hope again, that victory is ahead, that my best days are before me.

We all have struggles. That’s just a part of life. So the next time you are facing a challenge, I pray this will encourage you, will let you know that you are not alone and will give you weapons to fight your discouragement.

Something I’m remembering about having a new baby in the house– self-care is key to keep me from losing my mind.

You see, I had forgotten just how crazy having a newborn is. And when you add in the sleep deprivation and a 3-year-old who likes a lot of attention to the mix, it’s enough to drive me to the edge of sanity.

Making sure I have at least a few minutes each day for a self-care activity that brings me joy is something I can look forward to when things are getting crazy.

But obviously going to the spa for a day or on a girls trip is out of the question right now. That’s why I created this list of easy, inexpensive self-care ideas.

Inexpensive & Easy Self-Care Activities

Read a book or magazine.

Watch a favorite show.

Get out your coloring pencils or crayons to color.

Go for a walk.

Listen to an uplifting playlist.

Spend time on a hobby like scrapbooking, baking or hand lettering.

Exercise.

Listen to a favorite podcast.

Spend time with a friend.

Paint your nails.

Window shop at your favorite store.

Buy yourself flowers.

Take a bath.

Put together a puzzle.

Get outside and garden, swing or look at the clouds.

Take a nap.

Go for a scenic drive.

Play with a pet.

Buy your favorite drink, such as coffee, tea or a smoothie.

Light your favorite candle.

Experiment with makeup or hair ideas.

New moms aren’t the only ones who need to make time for self-care; we all do. We can’t expect to pour into our spouse, our kids or our work when our own well is empty. Take a few minutes to regularly fill yourself so you will be recharged enough to give the best you to others.

One of the things I love to share in my weekly email newsletters is self-care ideas I’ve tried and loved. I’d love to share these ideas with you. Just sign up here.

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About Me

My name is Ashley. I’m the wife of the best guy on the planet, the mom of two crazy girls and a lover of all things country music, reading and group fitness. And I’m super passionate about helping you simplify your life so you can spend more time doing the things you love.